Dress-form.



G. R. DE BBVOISE.

DRESS FORM.

APPLIOATION rum) JULY 6,1910

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

7&2262666619.

W e c In ITO-.WASIHNGTON n L CHARLES R. DE BEVOISE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

DRESS-FORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Application filed July 6, 1910. Serial No. 570,652.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES It. Dn Bnvoisn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Drcss'Forms, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention comprehends the production of a dress form comprising a pair of shirred ruffles attached to an undergarment to rectify defects in the human figure, the ruflles being so constructed as to admit of their being drawn up into puffs or shirrs, in order to produce fullness at the required points. These rul'lles are designed primarily for attachment to the inside or inner face of the garment, so as to fill out the latter, and to be, to all intents, incapable of detection. They are, moreover, especially intended to be worn as a part of a form-fitting upper garment, from which they are readily detachable for laundrying purposes.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved article of apparel, taken from the inner side thereof, one of the rutlles being shown in raised position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged seetional view of one of the rutlles.

In the construction illustrated, the two rutlles, which are generally indicated by the numerals 1, 1, are shown as employed in connection with a formditting upper garment 2 of the type known as a brassiere or corset cover, this garment preferably having the particular construction described in in prior application, Serial No. 500,999, filed June 9, 1909. The two rullles are arranged upon the inside of the garn'ient and they are attached to the upper edge of the latter at their upper corners, as indicated by the numerals 3 and 4, their lower edges being free. The arrangement specified results .in the presence of the rullles being practically incapable of detection, when the garment to which they are attached, is being worn. It has also the further result that said rullles are rendered capable of being raised into the position shown at the right of Fig. 1 for laundrying purposes. This is equally true whether the attaching medium be inv the form of stitching, or of ribbons which are run through said ruflles and the body garment at the points mentioned. In the latter instance, moreover, the ruffles may, if desired, be completely detached from the body garment. In either case, the rullles are held in place, when in use, by means of tapes, ribbons or the like 5 and 6, which are at tached to the front side scams 7 of the body garment, and are adapted to be tied to the adjacent ends of the lower and central drawstrings or tapes 8 and 9 of said rull'les.

As regards the construction of the rutlles, 1t may be stated that each comprises a series of strips of muslin or lawn which overlie and overlap one another. The innermost or body strip 10 of each rulllc, that is to say, that strip which is closest to the body of the wearer, has its lower edge formed with a hem 11, wherein the drawstring or tape 8 is arranged. The next strip 12 is folded horizontally upon itself, so as to provide a pair of flouncos 13 of unequal widths, and is attached to strip 10 at the line of fold by two spaced rows of stitches let between which is arranged the main or central drawstring 9, the rows of stitches being approximately midway of said strip 10. The inner llounce or fold of this strip overlies the lower portion of strip 10, as shown in Fig. 2. The succeeding strip 15 is folded in a man ner similar to that above described, to provide the two folds or flounces l6, and said strip is likewise attached to strip 10 by two rows of stitches 17 which receive between them a draw-string or tape 18 and are loratcd approximately midway between the stitches 1 1 and the upper edge of strip 10. The inner fold or flounce 10 of strip 15 over laps the outer fold or flounce 1.3, and the outer fold or llounce of this strip is overlapped, in turn, by a single flounco or strip 19 attached to the u per edge of strip 10 by spaced rows of stitc les 20 between which is likewise arranged a draw-string 21. The strips 12, 15, and 19 are attached to the body strip 10, as described, and are disposed between said body strip and the inner face of the brassiere, in unattached relation, however, to said inner face.

The strips 12, 15 and 19 take up an area which is substantially equal to the area of the strip 10 and, together with the latter, are plaitcd longitudinally, prior to their disposition in the manner above described, the arrangement being such that the plaits will fit 0r nest within each other to a certain extent. Consequently, when the drawstrings are tightened, the nests of plaits will be drawn together so as to constitute vertical puffs 22, as shown in connection with the left-hand ruffle in Fig. 1, the puffs being contracted centrally and at their ends. The extent of projection of the puffs outwardly from the garment is, of course, dependent upon the extent to which the drawstrings are tightened, this being a matter entirely under the control of the wearer.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that when the garment is in actual use, it will be filled out from the inside by the two ruffles, thereby imparting to the wearer the appearance of having a perfectly developed bust, this being due to the employment of the ruffles, which act as pads'and are capable of a slight adjustment by means of the drawst-rings or tapes. As originally stated, the outer ends of the drawstrings or tapes 8 and 9 are tied to the tapes 5 and 6, the inner mutually adjacent ends of the former strings or tapes being tied together, as are those of the upper strings or tapes 18 and 21.

The number of strips of which each ruffle is composed is obviously variable, according to circumstances, but it is evident that by folding over certain of said strips in the manner described above, such number is materially decreased, since each of the strips so folded thus constitutes in effect apair of strips, thereby reducing the initial cost of production to a considerable extent. The utility of the garment is, moreover, increased by employing a pair of separate rufiies ratherthan a single continuous rulile, since each ruflife is thus susceptible of adjustment independently of the other ruffle, and may be removed when torn or otherwise injured without necessitating the other'ruifle being likewise removed. Finally, the arrangement of the strips 12, 15 and 19 'between the body strip 10 and thebody gar ment or brassiere has the effect of filling out said garment more perfectly and to a greater extent than if such arrangement were reversed and the body strip disposed dire *tly against the body garment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dress form comprising a brassiere, and a l'l lfi'le associated therewith, and consisting of a body strip which it attached to the inner face of the brassiere, a plurality of overlapping strips superimposed on the bodv strip and disposed between the same and said inner face in unattached relation to the latter, all of the send strips having nested vertical plaits and a plurality of transversely arranged draw for strings drawing the nested plaits into puffs of desired extent, the body strip having an area Copies of this patent may 7 which is attached to said inner face,

zontal folding, nested vertical plaits and a plurality of {draw strings for drawing the nested plaits' into puffs of i to the area be obtained. for five cents each, by'addressing the which is substantially equal to the area taken up by said overlapping strips.

2.v A dress form comprising a brassiere and a ruffle associated therewith and made in structurally independent sections, the sections being separately secured to the inner front face of the brassiere ateac'h'side thereof and each comprising a body strip a plurality of overlapping strips superimposed on the body strip and disposed between the same and said inner face inunattached relation tothe latter, all of thesaid strips having nested vertical plaits and a plurality of transversely-arrangedy draw strings for drawing the'nested plaits into puffs of de-. sired extent the body strip havingan' area which is substantially equal to the area taken up'by said overlapping strips. v y

3. A dress form comprising brassiere and a ruffle associated therewith and consisting of abody strip which is attached to the inner face of the'brassiere, a plurality of overlapping strips superimposed on the body strip and disposed between the same and said inner face in unattached relation to the latter, each of the overlapping strips being horizontally folded and being attached to the body strip adjacent its line of horiall of said strips having desired extent, the body strip having an area which is substantially equal taken up by said overlapping strips.

4. A dress form comprising a brassie're and a pair of structurally independent ruffles associated with the inner face ruflies being located at each side of the brassiere and each comprising a body strip attached at its upper edge to said inner face, a plurality of vertically plaited strips secured in overlapping relation upon the body strip for disposal ad acent the inner face of the brassiere but unattached to the latter, the said vertically plaited strips taking up an areaw'hich is substantially equal to the area of said body strip, and draw strings for gathering the plaits into pufis, the brassiere having suitably located tapes to which the outer ends of the draw strings are'tie-d, the mutually adjacent inner ends of the draw strings being tied to one another.

in testimony: whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES R. DE BEVOISE. VVitnesses j OLIVER DRAKE, GEORGE P. ENGLE ARD.

Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C.

thereof, the 

